The Spitz Clock is one of those sightseeing icons that are hiding in plain sight. Once you look…read morefor it, your really can't miss it. It's located on the northwest edge of the historic Santa Fe Plaza, directly outside the southeastern corner of the New Mexico Museum of Art. You can easily spot it by looking for a landmark that resembles a giant, double-faced gold pocket watch standing on a tall green stem. Terry our Santa Fe Footprints walking tour guide pointed it out and provided a little history of what is actually the 3rd version to appear near the Plaza. - The First Clock (1881): Salamon Spitz, founder of Spitz Jewelry Store, put up a giant display clock outside his shop. It had no internal gears and was used strictly as a clever advertising gimmick. - The Second Clock (c. 1900): The fake clock was replaced by a real, functioning sidewalk clock. However, its time was cut short in 1915 when it was completely leveled by one of the very first motor trucks driven in Santa Fe. - The Third Clock (1916-Present): Salamon Spitz refused to let the landmark die. He purchased a secondhand clock in Kansas City in 1916 and brought it to New Mexico. The clock stood proudly in front of the jewelry store on the south side of the Plaza for roughly 50 years. In 1967, the store was cleared to build the plaza's south portal. The clock went into storage for seven years until Bernard Spitz (Salamon's son) officially donated it to the citizens of Santa Fe. It was permanently erected at its current location outside the New Mexico Museum of Art in June 1974. While E. Howard and Company sidewalk clocks used to be quite common in city squares across America, the Spitz Clock is believed by horologists to be the only Howard clock left in existence with its original gear system completely intact. It is a traditional weight-driven, pendulum-style mechanism that must be manually wound by a caretaker to function. Historical tidbit: The Spitz Clock played a small but critical role in the infamous Manhattan Project atomic spy ring during World War II. In 1945, the landmark was used by Soviet agents to synchronize their timepieces before exchanging America's top-secret nuclear weapon designs.

Lots of shopping, art, historic sites. Loved our time here. Shops in all price ranges and options…read more Lots of food options. Beautiful and large.

I always wanted to visit Santa Fe and it didn't dissappoint! The historic district is so charming,…read moregreat to stroll its streets and discover it by foot. The Plaza is beautiful, full of charm, there are many historic buidlings around like the Palace of the Governrrs, many museums with architecture alike a pueblo, cathedrals in Spanish Revival sytle, great shops, art galleries, restaurants. This is the kind of place with so much personality that is hard to describe. They have events here often, market, the place is lively with lots of cultural activities to discovere, Georgia O'Keefe Museum is a must, but there are so many other great museums and small galleries that you can pop in any time. Santa Fe might remind you of a cute town in Mexico but it has its own original features, it is such an unique place!

National parks are amazing aspect of our country. This one is focused on the history of the…read moreManhattan project, leading to the atomic bomb. It is a relatively new park, celebrating its 10 year anniversary this year. Literature is great, especially the map for the walking tour as well as the buildings "behind the fence". If you collect national park stamps and the NPS visitor center is closed, you can also get it at the Los Alamos visitor center right next door as well as at the Los Alamos Historical Center museum just a little ways away.

Very interesting to tour these sites especially after seeing the movie Oppenheimer. I would…read morerecommend stopping to learn about the history of the project and where it took place.

JUST FOR YOUR FYI Here is some helpful hints if you should…read morevisit a pueblo.... http://www.indianpueblo.org/19pueblos/etiquette.html

I feel kind of weird rating a pueblo here... I'm basically rating a village and tourist site for a…read moregroup of native New Mexicans. At the same time, it was a cool cultural experience that anyone visiting New Mexico should probably do. We heard about the pueblos through the Santa Fe tourist site and decided it was an absolute must for us. We went to San Ildefonso because we read about how they fought off the Spaniards and their famed pottery. The pueblo is very easy to find, and very well marked for the visitor. You know exactly where to pull up and park; do that (WATCH OUT for those speed bumps!) and check in. This pueblo allows you to register a camera for a fee ($10) and take pictures. There were quite a few people coming and going throughout this pueblo-- it was very alive! Children running and playing, adults hanging by the porches, etc. The pueblo also has a museum about the famous black-on-black pottery the pueblo is known for. It was interesting to learn how it was made, and more about the San Ildefonso culture. The museum cost was included with the carload entry fee. This pueblo also has several shops and when you check in they give you a map of where these shops are. It was helpful as some of the shops are in people's homes, and we didn't want to trespass. It was sometimes confusing as to which were open, though. And a quick heads up that the pottery sold here is expensive!! $60 for a 3" round bowl, over a hundred to several hundred for some of the bigger bowls. It is beautiful, though, and I think they are quite the collector's item. If you're going to visit a pueblo, this is a good one to visit. IGNORE THE YELP MAPPING on this one-- it is not in downtown Santa Fe! For more info, you can go to these websites (I couldn't find the official one for the pueblo): http://www.newmexico.org/native_america/pueblos/san_ildefonso.php http://www.indianpueblo.org/19pueblos/sanildefonso.html http://santafe.org/Visiting_Santa_Fe/Things_to_Do/Indian_Pueblos/Eight_Northern_Indian_Pueblos/#ildefonso

Santa Fe is a cool town but I was only excited for a few things there before visiting. When coming…read moreacross this place, I suddenly found myself in some type of wonder world. Walk around Santa Fe and you never know what could be around the next corner. This place isn't exactly a tourist destination. While I took pictures and walked around the place, I'm still not entirely sure of its purpose. It's my understanding that this church is named after a virgin from Mexico. Forgive my ignorance on the subject. You would think that a virgin church in the middle of many other churches(ONE OF THEM HAS TO BE HAS TO LIKE HER, RIGHT? RIGHT??)... virginity is rare so it has that going for it. Hook up with one of those other churches already! The place was locked as it was a mid-week weekday. We also weren't chased off by any type of security guard so we were able to snap pictures and view the outside. I wish it would've been opened so I could've checked it out.

Beautiful church away from the touristy Plaza. The grounds are covered with the most beautiful…read moreblooming rose bushes. The statue of Guadalupe catches your eye, but immediately in front of Guadalupe is a life size Rosary shown as pavers on the ground for the Rosary beads. Definitely a working church, as there were parishioners lining up for weekend mass while Hubby and I were visiting. We did not visit the sanctuary because of mass, but thought the grounds were beautiful.

Tiny little stop and short little walking trail out to the rock monument. Fun stop for 10 minutes…read morelittle kids will enjoy briefly! Cool little piece of nature to stop and wonder at on your way to Santa Fe or Los Alamos or ABQ!

We stopped here because my sister thought I would get a kick out of it and I DID! The parking lot…read moreis an easy pull in off the highway, there is a well maintained path to better see the camel, and all in all the stop takes 10 minutes. Worth it!! From some angles it does look like a J. Fair warning. I love that this is a thing though and stopping here is worth the smile.

I dedicate my #1400 review to my latest travel crush: Santa Fe!…read more I always wanted to visit, for me it seemed like an exotic destination and not the obvious type. It lured me with its vivid arts scene, cool history and the Pueblo style architecture, the Spanish colonialism mixed with the Native culture, a very spiritual place and the list could continue. Santa Fe's closest airport is in Albuquerque, so you can rent a car to get here, a straight forward drive longer than an hour. Even if it's mostly a walkable place (if you book a place downtown), it's helpful to have a car handy for some other attractions: Museum Hills, Meow Wolf and day trips. Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico since 1610. Most museums and stores are open, but check before you go, the hours might differ from what you see online. I loved walking the downtown area, stroll the cute streets, pop inside art galleries, museums and take advantage of art fairs during the weekend. After a week, I feel like I barely scratch the surface and need to go back and dig deeper. Some pueblos and parks are still closed unfortunately, so some other visit, hopefully. Many beautiful places around the Plaza: Palace of the Governors, Loretto Church, Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, The Oldest House in the US, Georgia O'Keefe museum, New Mexico Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, New Mexico History Museum. Cool stores, bookstores, art galleries everywhere and a whole row on Canyon Rd, record stores, restaurants. If you love Mexican food with a New Mexican twist (lots of chilis), you are in the right place, I gained a few pounds. Breweries, a margarita trail and lots of charm. Cons- the altitude, Santa Fe is higher up than Denver, so expect a few headaches, we had them. Transportation within the city it's lacking the shuttle so it's harder to get around. While you can walk to some places, it's harder to orient yourself to get to others and I love walking, but being hot and having a lot of road work makes it tougher (I stumbled and fall while looking for an ice-cream place), so be careful. Thunderstorms in the summer afternoons! That being said, Santa Fe is a city like no other, with dried chilis hanging down everywhere, beautiful architecture, nice people, art everywhere and delicious food. There are many day trips you can take, Taos, The Turquoise Trail among many. They have cool festivals all year around, you can hike, ski or just chill by the pool side with a margarita. Wear comfy shoes and bring your sense of adventure. A different world will open to you!

I edit on Friday 7 24 2026. I went to the History museum…read more Which i loved. But couldn't find a place to eat. Two expensive restaurants near tge Governors palace. It was completely dead. No vendors or stores open. Waste of time.

The Los Alamos area has *so* many phenomenal parks and trails, but if you're pressed for time and…read morecan only choose one, and the weather is good for it, I highly recommend the Tsankawi Section of Bandolier National Monument. It's less than 20 minutes away and you can have a great 1.5 mile loop hike with cool history & stunning vistas in less than 2 hours. The hike isn't really strenuous, but there are some ladder climbs & descents, as well as several instances of unprotected paths along an open cliffside, a little nerve-wracking for those with fear of heights. If there's ice on the ground, I'd recommend a different trail. Note that there is no shade or shelter at all, so wear appropriate cover & sunscreen, and don't go if any storm is forecast. Watch out for snakes, and beware of the possibility of splinters in your hands from the ladders - use gloves there if you have them. At Tsankawi, you will see wonderous 360-degree views of colorful mesas, valleys, skies, and mountains. Keep your eyes peeled for ancient petroglyphs carved into boulders along the way. Some of the hike is on sandy or gravel paths, while other parts are along deeply grooved ruts in stone, worn by 1000s of years of footfalls. Eventually you will reach hollowed out cave dwellings with soot covered ceilings, the remains of the Tewa people's pueblo homes from another era. Official hours are 9a - 5p daily, but I've heard that sunrise and sunset are amazing from this mesa. As of November 2024, you'll pay $25 for the per-vehicle parking pass, and this will be good for 1 week of entry to all of Bandolier. You can pay with credit card at the covered kiosk near the trailhead and receive a receipt to display on your dashboard. Of course, if you're planning to see other national parks this year, you might as well spend the $45 to get the annual pass.

Spectacular! It was the highlight of our day. Only about dozen or so parking spots. I'm shocked…read moreit's not more known. I think it's better that way. Less the better. We went to cliff dwellings at Bandelier day prior. That was nice too but we enjoyed the ruggedness here more. The rocks are easy to climb. And we probably saw 6 other people the whole time we were there. The highlight is to climb that second ladder for mind blowing views from the top.